What’s the one thing that sets apart a good writer from a great writer?
It’s not spelling or grammar. It’s not vocabulary, nor is it creativity when selecting topics. These are the baseline for writing.
It’s their voice. Their capacity to imprint their personality upon their writing. To make their work more than just words on a page.
I’ll be frank. This isn’t something you can learn overnight. It’s a skill that takes a great deal of time to develop, and a great deal of practice.
But it’s more than worth the effort. It means that whatever you write will resonate that much better with your audience. That your blog as a whole will be that much more memorable and that your skills as a marketer will be that much more formidable.
I can’t tell you exactly how to find your voice. That’s a deeply personal journey, and one you need to take on your own. What I can do is give you some guidance in terms of where to start.
Think About How You Speak
The best blogs are those that are capable of conveying complex ideas in an easily digestible fashion. And one of the best ways to do that is with a conversational writing style. A good rule of thumb is that anyone reading one of your pieces should feel as though they’re in the same room as you, having a one-on-one discussion.
This means that there’s a lot of space for personalization. Think about how you speak in a professional context. That can help you create a baseline.
What language do you most frequently tend to use? What are your verbal quirks? What’s your typical tone of voice when you speak?
Keep all these in mind, and write as though you’re explaining something to a friend or colleague.
Be Passionate.
Anyone with writing chops can throw together a quick blog post about a topic. The thing is, if there’s no interest in the topic they’re writing about, it tends to show. Their copy tends to be rather boring.
Don’t be that way. Writing what you know is important, but it’s infinitely more important that you write what you’re passionate about.
What interests and excites you? What topics could you spend hours talking about and researching without pause? There’s your starting point.
Know Your Audience
Lastly, consider who you’re trying to attract with your blog posts, and what experience you’re trying to offer.
Do you simply want to establish yourself as a trusted thought leader? Are you looking to draw more people to your digital storefront? Are you trying to drive subscriptions to a mailing list or memberships on your website?
The above goals aren’t mutually exclusive to one another, but it’s best you focus on one core objective.
From there, take a step back and consider who you’re writing for. Does your audience mostly consist of people like you, who share your interests, passions, and ideas? Great! In that case, just keep doing what you’re doing.
You’ve pretty much got this on lock.
If, however, your readers are more diverse, you’re going to have to do some market research. You’ll still need to personalize your writing. But you’ll also need to tweak your voice and tone so that it resonates with your target audience.
To figure out who that audience is, you can do a few things.
- Look at who follows you and your competitors on social.
- Take a look at the people who’ve been purchasing your products or signing up for your site. What are their problems, needs, and desires as they relate to your brand?
- Create audience profiles based on what you know of your brand and the services or products it offers. Focus on both demographics and personality traits.
Conclusion
Whether you’re crafting a personality for your brand or simply figuring out your voice on a personal blog, it’s a process that takes a great deal of time and effort. It’s worth it in the long run, though. You’ll end up with better copy, a more engaged audience, and a greater understanding of both yourself and your business.
About the Author:
Daniel Page is the Director of Business Development for ASEOHosting, a leading provider in SEO hosting and multiple IP hosting.